Nicholas - Master Puppeteer, Improv/Actor, Writer

At the age of 14, Nicholas Lemon co-founded Lemon Productions, a live touring company. For more than ten years, this company toured Ontario providing countless live puppet performances. Using a camera linked to monitors, to enable the puppeteer to see what the audience was seeing, along with full sound equipment, lights and special effects, it was possible to not only entertain small intimate groups but, also to stage productions for audiences of 700 or more. The fact that the scripts were written by the company and were tailored to address the client’s requirements, allowed the performances to fit the specific needs of schools, corporations, community groups, fair boards, malls, special events, etc.

Having proven, in the live shows that television was a natural medium for the company, approaching the local cable company for some exposure, seemed the right next step. Out of that, came the opportunity for guest spots on a daily community show and co-host segments, on a family variety show.

In 1997, Nicholas had the honour of being a “YTV” Achievement Awards Finalist, in the “Specialty” category for puppetry. Then, in 2002/2003, he received the “Leading Edge” “Denny Award” from the Kitchener/Waterloo Arts Council, in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments.

In 2005, Nicholas took over sole ownership of Lemon Productions and is very excited with the direction the company is now going. Performing has always been very much a part of whom he is and, because of that, he continually works at learning as much as he can to advance his skills. He is a graduate of “The Second City” conservatory “Improv Program” in Toronto. He has also taken advanced acting classes and continues to take refresher classes with coaches at Sears and Switzer. By “invitation only”, he has taken part not only in Jim Henson Company workshops, but also in a Sesame Street workshop. Having the skills required to make it through to the end of each of these workshops without being cut, gives Nicholas the pleasure of being able to say that he is on their short list of qualified puppeteers and he looks forward to working with them in the future.

While puppetry is Nicholas’ first love, acting is a big part of his life. He’s had the pleasure of taking part in several television projects, “The Truth About The Sexes”, “Queer As Folk”, and “Zero Hour”, to name a few. He has also taken part in commercials, such as; “Capital One” – Lead Puppeteer, “Burger King” – this commercial went S.A.G. and aired in the U.S., as well as “YTV” & “Kraft” “Fork It Over Contest” which aired nationally in Canada.

The Company

History

Lemon Productions was conceived in 1994 when, at the age of 14, Nicholas’ fascination with puppetry and performing joined hands with a partner and after a wonderfully received first performance, at a local art gallery, his career had begun.

Since that first show, the company continued not only to perfect their puppetry skills but also to expand and introduce groundbreaking techniques into their live performances. Early on, to be able to accommodate the growing audience sizes, a full sound system including head mics, multiple CD and tape machines, were added. Then video monitors were introduced to enable the puppeteers to see what their audience saw. Special effect lighting, a fog machine, and a Kabuki launcher, were then included to round out the production.

One of the things that set Lemon Productions apart from other puppeteers was the fact that scripts, for live performances, were purposely written to appeal to all ages. Often referred to as refreshing and dynamic, in a style of “Ed Sullivan meets Laugh-In”, permitted the company to shape their productions to fit specific themes and current topics.

Having a concern for the wellbeing of young people and wanting to be a positive role model, the company is proud to have been part of teaching young people through numerous school boards, police departments, malls, fair boards, community organizations and corporate Christmas parties during the thousands of performances, over the first ten years of live productions.

During that time, to add a new dimension to the show, the company started approaching various musical celebrities to create puppet likenesses and to use their music in live performances. The first celebrity approached was “Weird Al” Yankovic, who gave immediate approval and was soon a popular addition to the show. Following him, Graceland gave the green light to construct two “Elvis Presley” creations. One of the things that attracted Graceland to Lemon Productions was the quality of the lip-syncing skills and the level of professionalism that the company displayed. Permission from “Elton John”, “Janet Jackson” and “Burton Cummings” soon followed.

The Present

After a very successful 10-year run of live performing, in 2005, Nicholas Lemon took over sole ownership of Lemon Productions. While thoroughly enjoying the excitement that live performance brings and the immediate response of the audience, he is taking this opportunity to branch out and venture into new and creative areas of the entertainment industry.

The construction of puppets, props and costuming has always been a major part of Lemon Productions, both for the company’s use, and for sale to others. Recently, puppet likeness construction has expanded and is an exciting part of the company’s growth. The addition of latex techniques will not only open creative possibilities for the company, in regards to puppets, but will allow expansion into special effect make-up.

While doing countless live performances, during the first phase of the company’s existence, teaching puppetry and the art of staging a live performance was one of the most unexpected bonuses that evolved from interacting with the audiences. In addition, teaching improvisation techniques is a new and exciting addition for the company.

With the creation of an “in house” studio, Lemon Productions is now able to provide services from pre-production to post-production. Green screen capabilities are being added to expand the creative possibilities for the future.

Lemon Productions is very pleased to be able branch out from its origins, of live touring, to being part of the global community of New Media.